Cambridge Adds to Adviser Resources

Cambridge Investment Research introduced a new set of online
retirement tools and knowledge resources for its advisers, delivered via the
Cambridge Retirement Center.

Dan Sullivan, executive vice president at Cambridge, says
the expansion includes “industry-leading resources and expertise for
retirement plans and individuals saving for life goals.” He notes Cambridge’s
goal in building out the resource center was to offer a streamlined experience
for advisers, “with one-touch access to multiple technology subsystems.”

The Cambridge Retirement Center’s disclosure and data
aggregation tool delivers a customized disclosure process while also forming a
data foundation with periodic data feeds from 50 different recordkeepers. The
firm says this gives advisers “a snapshot of plan assets to help analyze plan
trends.” A custom search feature enables advisers to identify the best product
fits for client needs based on the services and features desired.

The firm also has developed “key integrations with premium
service vendors,” according to Colleen Bell, first vice president, retirement
and wealth strategies.

“These partners were chosen to power investment analytics
and fee benchmarking tools for our advisers after careful analysis of various
technology vendors,” she notes. Bell says the investment analytics tool allows
for tracking of fund lineups and creating custom client reports, while the fee
benchmarking tool compares fees relative to the plan services provided and
assists advisers in conversations with clients regarding the true value of
their services.

The online resource center also
offers automated daily transfer of data between participating vendors and
customizable subsystems; retirement plan and individual participant data mining;
targeted education messaging; a knowledge bank of retirement plan resources and
best practices; and support for delivering fiduciary services for plan sponsors.
There is also a dedicated retirement center team providing support throughout
the client engagement process, from the request for proposal through formal
contract completion.